Japan 20-36 Ireland: Much-changed Irish hold off spirited Brave Blossoms for Nations Championship win

2026/07/11

Categories: sports

Nations Championship round two

Japan (13) 20

Tries: Taira, Era Cons: Matsunaga 2 Pens: Matsunaga 2

Ireland (19) 36

Tries: Timoney, O'Toole, Henshaw, Jansen, Stewart Cons: Frawley 3, Byrne Pen: Byrne

Sean Jansen marked his international debut with a try as a much-changed Ireland wore Japan down in New South Wales to make it two bonus-point wins from two in the Nations Championship.

New Zealand-born number eight Jansen, elevated to the Test team on the back of a superb season with Connacht, crashed down 10 minutes into the second half after earlier Irish tries by Nick Timoney, Tom O'Toole and Robbie Henshaw.

Winger Taira Main's early score and eight points from the boot of full-back Takuro Matsunaga kept Japan within a converted try at half-time.

The Brave Blossoms reignited hopes of a shock win when replacement prop Hayate Era crossed after Jansen's score with 20 minutes left.

That score reignited Japan's hopes of marking head coach Eddie Jones' return from suspension with just a second win over Ireland in 12 meetings.

But after replacement fly-half Harry Byrne stretched Ireland's lead to nine with a penalty, Tom Stewart struck in the final minute to seal a sixth successive win for Andy Farrell's side.

More to follow.

Japan: Takuro Matsunaga; Kazuma Ueda, Dylan Riley, Yuya Hirose, Taira Main; Ryunosuke Ito, Naoto Saito; Takato Okabe, Mamoru Harada, Shuhei Takeuchi, Harry Hockings, Warner Dearns (capt), Ben Gunter, Kanji Shimokawa, Jack Cornelsen.

Replacements: Hayate Era, Sojiro Otuska, Keijiro Tamefusa, Michael Stolberg, Michael Leitch, Tiennan Costley, Itsuki Kamimura, Sam Greene.

Ireland: Jamie Osborne; Jimmy O'Brien, Robbie Henshaw, Stuart McCloskey, Jacob Stockdale; Ciaran Frawley, Craig Casey; Tom O'Toole, Ronan Kelleher, Thomas Clarkson, Tadhg Beirne (capt), James Ryan, Jack Conan, Nick Timoney, Sean Jansen.

Replacements: Tom Stewart, Billy Bohan, Sam Illo, Cormac Izuchukwu, Bryn Ward, Nathan Doak, Harry Byrne, Bundee Aki.

Referee: Andrea Piardi (Ita)

>> Home